Nate’s Notes 265: How To Get Ahead | Berkeley Professor Cameron Anderson

Cameron has spent decades studying power, status, influence, and what helps people get ahead in life. One of his most interesting findings is both reassuring and unsettling: being a jerk does not help people gain power, but it also does not necessarily hurt them.

We often see powerful people who are selfish or manipulative, and we assume those traits caused their rise. But as Cameron explained, we confuse correlation with causation. Powerful jerks are memorable. They stand out. But for every powerful jerk, there is someone just as powerful who is decent, generous, and trustworthy.

To gain power, it’s not about being a jerk. But it is about being assertive. Assertive and persistent while advocating for our goals. And then if we pair assertiveness and persistence with kindness and morality, which are two of the biggest drivers of status, the outcome, in the words of Cameron, is “magical and unstoppable.”

In summary, to gain power be assertive. To gain status, be kind. And to get ahead, be both.

It’s a simple idea. Please take it seriously.

Cameron Anderson Bio:

Cameron Anderson is a professor of organizational behavior at the Haas School of Business at the University of California, Berkeley. His research focuses on power, status and influence, and he teaches courses on power and politics in organizations, negotiations, and conflict resolution. Before joining Cal Berkeley, Cameron was a professor at the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University and the Stern School of Business at New York University, where he was named Professor of the Year. At Berkeley, he received the Earl F. Cheit Outstanding Teaching Award in 2008. In addition to his research and teaching, Cameron regularly consults with leading organizations and corporations around the world.